Isn't this a good thing? Instead of living safely in our intellectual bubbles we're now faced daily with people that vehemently disagree, forcing us to sharpen our ideas and examine our own reasons for believing what we do.

UrukHaiGuyz:Isn't this a good thing? Instead of living safely in our intellectual bubbles we're now faced daily with people that vehemently disagree, forcing us to sharpen our ideas and examine our own reasons for believing what we do.

UrukHaiGuyz:Isn't this a good thing? Instead of living safely in our intellectual bubbles we're now faced daily with people that vehemently disagree, forcing us to sharpen our ideas and examine our own reasons for believing what we do.

UrukHaiGuyz:Isn't this a good thing? Instead of living safely in our intellectual bubbles we're now faced daily with people that vehemently disagree, forcing us to sharpen our ideas and examine our own reasons for believing what we do.

UrukHaiGuyz:Isn't this a good thing? Instead of living safely in our intellectual bubbles we're now faced daily with people that vehemently disagree, forcing us to sharpen our ideas and examine our own reasons for believing what we do.

It also allows a retreat into an impenetrable echo chamber.

It's part of the reason I quit using Facebook. I couldn't deal with it and it was making me depressed, but I also couldn't stop myself and resist the temptation to see what some of my more bubble prone cousins and other relatives were doing and commenting trying to penetrate that bubble.

I've learned one thing though from Facebook. Arguments aren't about who is right, they are about dominance. Getting piled on for being the one dissenting voice is no fun.

Fark at least helps deal with things through the humor you guys show. Plus, I don't actually know any of you.

meat0918:UrukHaiGuyz: Isn't this a good thing? Instead of living safely in our intellectual bubbles we're now faced daily with people that vehemently disagree, forcing us to sharpen our ideas and examine our own reasons for believing what we do.

It also allows a retreat into an impenetrable echo chamber.

It's part of the reason I quit using Facebook. I couldn't deal with it and it was making me depressed, but I also couldn't stop myself and resist the temptation to see what some of my more bubble prone cousins and other relatives were doing and commenting trying to penetrate that bubble.

I've learned one thing though from Facebook. Arguments aren't about who is right, they are about dominance. Getting piled on for being the one dissenting voice is no fun.

I'm at the fascination level with FB at the moment. I hoped it would be a cool place were we can keep in touch and stay up to date with each other and maybe get together every now and then...but I've found that I don't want to get together (I guess that makes the depressing part).

I see those people constantly post ridiculous articles and make less than subtle statements about how everyone who thinks differently than themselves is stupid and if you or anyone you know post anything leaning to an opposing view, no matter how innocuous, they are all over it going crazy. And then they get more riled up when you shoot down dumb-ass data/examples they post with factual data.

meat0918:Arguments aren't about who is right, they are about dominance. Getting piled on for being the one dissenting voice is no fun.

Depends in part on how much of a masochist you are. Or perhaps on exactly how dominant a personality you can be among those arguing; to a certain sort of asshole (low-RWA, high-SDO variety), there's sometimes a sort of charm to being able to hold your own and more against a dozen different opponents all at once.

meat0918:It's part of the reason I quit using Facebook. I couldn't deal with it and it was making me depressed, but I also couldn't stop myself and resist the temptation to see what some of my more bubble prone cousins and other relatives were doing and commenting trying to penetrate that bubble.

I haven't quit yet. For years I always had a tab open to it but lately I've been closing that tab and only checking in every now and then. I'm not sure I'll get away from it totally, but what I'm doing works for now.

I quit Facebook about 5-6 months to go and I hate to admit it, but my life has improved since doing so. It's amazing how quickly I realized I didn't need it in my life to stay connected to people that I actually wanted to stay connected to. The rest, I don't miss at all.

UrukHaiGuyz:Isn't this a good thing? Instead of living safely in our intellectual bubbles we're now faced daily with people that vehemently disagree, forcing us to sharpen our ideas and examine our own reasons for believing what we do.

That would be true if people where having rational discussions using evidence to support the arguments, however what is mostly happening are people are giving strawman, slipper slope and insults which instead polarize positions even more.

Arguing on the internet is not always pointless. In public forums, there are usually lots of lurkers who are interested. Those are the people I try to communicate with. I argue against trolls and misinformation in order to help the other readers.

Arguing in a private chat room with just you and one other person? That's pointless.

/Almost all of talk origins' Q&A database was formed from people arguing on the internet.

mgshamster:Arguing on the internet is not always pointless. In public forums, there are usually lots of lurkers who are interested. Those are the people I try to communicate with. I argue against trolls and misinformation in order to help the other readers.

Arguing in a private chat room with just you and one other person? That's pointless.

/Almost all of talk origins' Q&A database was formed from people arguing on the internet.

I agree 100%. If you let only one side talk many people think that means it's the only view, so it's important to point out when others are wrong even if it doesn't change their opinion.

Corvus:mgshamster: Arguing on the internet is not always pointless. In public forums, there are usually lots of lurkers who are interested. Those are the people I try to communicate with. I argue against trolls and misinformation in order to help the other readers.

Arguing in a private chat room with just you and one other person? That's pointless.

/Almost all of talk origins' Q&A database was formed from people arguing on the internet.

I agree 100%. If you let only one side talk many people think that means it's the only view, so it's important to point out when others are wrong even if it doesn't change their opinion.